Dispensing device



April 13, 1937. S TEINER DISPENSING DEVICE Filed May 12, 1936 IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 13, 1937 UNITED STATES PATE OFFICE 2 Claims.

The invention relates to dispensing or vending devices and has for one of its main objects to provide a device in which the merchandise is dispensed alternately from one side or the other. 5 Another object is to provide a machine which may be operated as a complete unit in itself or be connected with another vending machine to dispense certain articles in addition to those dis.- pensed from the vending machine when this 10 is actuated.

Afurther object is to provide a device from which merchandise of various kinds may be dispensed and in which merchandise of uneven shapes may be dispensed without being inserted 15 with special regards tothe shape.

objects are to provide a device of simple construction having no parts easily broken or apt to get out of order, which will occupy comparatively small space, which may be used in com- 20 bination with vending machines of various types, and which can be manufactured at a relatively low cost.

These and various other objects and advantages will be readily understood from the folg5 lowing description and from the accompanying drawing of a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which, however, modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the drawing 30 Fig. 1 is a fragmental rear elevation of the device;

Figs. 2 and 3 are similar rear elevations showing the operating mechanism in different positions;

35 Fig. 4 is a sectional top View; and

Fig. 5 a fragmental side elevation of one of the merchandise containers.

The device, which for purpose of illustration has been shown adapted to dispense matches of 40 the so-called book type and which is shown Without the customary cabinet, consists of two vertical containers Ill and II which are connected, at their lower ends by a common bottom plate I2. The book matches are shown at I3.

" Openings 14 are formed on the outer sides of the containers and from these openings the matches are discharged. When the device is used for book matches, or other merchandise of angular shape, the openings are formed as plainly shown in Fig. so that the bottom book may be discharged, no matter whether the thick tops or the thin bottoms of the books are disposed to the front or the rear of the container, without 55 the book immediately above being wedged in the Additional 7 opening, as would be the case with a rectangular slot.

A space H: is provided between the-containers, and the sides of the bottom plate l2 are bent upwardly and inwardly to form guides l6 and 5 I? in this space and between the containers. A slide it is mounted on top of the bottom plate, between it and the guides l6 and N. This slide is adapted to enter the bottom of either of the containers and so discharge the bottom books 10 from these containers.

A plate i9 is placed transversely across the rear of the two containers and in this plate a slot 20 is punched. A rocking arm M is pivoted to this plate at 22 and this arm is provided with two pins 23 and 24, as well as with a shank 25' at its lower end. The shank fits in a hole 26 formed' in a strap 21 which is secured to the slide IB' by means of screws 28, as plainly shown in Fig. 4.

A push bar 29 is mounted on the plate I9 by means of a bolt 30 which is free to slide in the slot 20. This push bar is provided with an upper prong 3| and a lower prong 32, as well as with cam faces 33 and 34. The forward end 35 of the push bar is retained by a bracket 36 and the push bar itself is spaced from the plate l9 by an oiTset 31 formed in the plate. The push bar is held up. in a substantial horizontal position, by means of a wire spring 38 which is secured on the plate IS.

The device operates in the following manner:

A quantity of book matches are stacked in the containers which are preferably open in front, as

shown in Fig. 4, so that their contents may be noted. When it is desired to dispense a box of matches from the device, the push bar is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow 49 in Fig. 1. As the bar is moved the prong 3| engages the pin 23 and moves the rocking arm 2| to the posi- 40 tion shown in Fig. 2. This in turn causes the strap 2'1 to push the slide [8 into the container l l and thus dispense the bottom box of matches. When the push bar is pulled back the prong 3| disengages from the pin and the push bar drops down until the cam face 32 rests on the pin 24; the slide in the meantime being stationary. When the push bar has been brought back to its inoperative position, as shown in Fig. 1, the rocking arm will be in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so that when the bar is again brought forward the prong 32 will engage the pin 24 and thus push the slide into container I 0 and dispense a box of matches from this container.

As the tension of the spring 38 is such as to normally hold the push bar in a horizontal position, the cam face 34, as it slides over the pin 24, helps to lift the push bar. The cam face 33, as

' it slides under the pin 23, depresses the push bar 5 against the tension of the spring 38.

In practice, the device is contained in a cabinet and when used for matches, is generally used in combination with a cigarette vending machine so that with each box of cigarettes dispensed from the machine, a box of matches is simultaneously dispensed. When used for this purpose 'the cigarette vending containers may 'be placed in the space between the containers l0 and II and the push bar 29 is connected with 15 the dispensing mechanism of'the cigarette vending machine. The space I5 may be made of any size to accommodate one or more cigarette containers. However, the device may also be used for dispensing matches,' or other merchandise only. In such cases, the slide is connected with a coin,

operating mechanism in such a manner that it can onlybe actuated when released by the insertion of a coin. Inasmuch'as such coin 'mech'anisms are old in the art they have not been illustrated here and do not form part of this invention.

Havingdescribed the invention and its objects,

7 what'I claim as new and wish to protect by LettersvPatent is:- w

1. A dispensing device comprising a pair of spaced merchandise containers; discharge open- 'ings formed in the opposite outside faces of said 7 containers; a slide reciprocatingly mounted in the bottom of said device and in the space between 'said containers; said slide adapted to be moved alternately into the bottom of one or the other of said containers to discharge articles of merchandise therefrom; a cross bar secured to said slide; arocker arm, mounted on a support secured to the containers, engaging with said bar;

pins secured near the opposite ends of said rocker fixed relation to said pins when the bar is in its" normal position.

2. A dispensing device comprising a. pair 'of spaced merchandise containers; discharge'openfiings formed in the opposite outside faces of said containers; a slide reciprocatingly mounted in the bottom of said device and in the space between said containers; said slide adapted to be moved alternately into the bottom of one or the other of said containers to discharge articles of merchandise therefrom; a cross bar secured to said slide; a rocker'arm, mounted on a support secured to the container, engaging with said bar; pins secured near the opposite ends of said rocker arm; a pronged bar, for actuating said rocker arm when engaged with one or the other of the said pins, pivotally and slidingly mounted on said support, the prongs so constructed that when the bar is actuated so as to engage one of the prongs with one of the pins, the bar ismoved tion to said pins when the bar is in its normal position; and'cam faces located on theouter edges of the prongs and engageable with the pinson the rocker arm when the pronged bar is returned to its normal position.

' LOUIS STEINER.

from its normal position so as to prevent engage-V ment of the other prong with the other pin; a spring forholding the pronged bar in fixed relaa 

